QUO VADIS, AIDA? Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, Romania, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Norway, Turkey
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A film by Jasmila Žbanić QUO VADIS, AIDA? Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, Romania, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Norway, Turkey 103 Min. Bosnian, English, Dutch Flat (1:85), 5.1 sound INTERNATIONAL SALES Indie Sales Nicolas Eschbach QUO VADIS, [email protected] Florencia Gil [email protected] Simon Gabriele AIDA? [email protected] Grbavica – Golden Bear INTERNATIONAL PRESS Magali Montet Berlinale [email protected] A film by Jasmila Žbanić 2006 +33 6 71 63 36 16 2 3 Screenings Schedule VENICE FILM FESTIVAL PRESS & INDUSTRY THU. 3, 8:30 AM @ SALA DARSENA THU. 3, 11 AM @ SALA GRANDE PUBLIC THU. 3, 4:30 PM @ SALA GRANDE (Gala screening) THU. 3, 6:30 PM @ ROSSINI 1 and IMG CANDIANI 1 THU. 3, 8:30 PM @ ARENA LIDO and ARENA GIARDINI FRI. 4, 8:30 AM @ PALABIENNALE FRI. 4, 9:30 AM @ ROSSINI 1 and IMG CANDIANI FRI. 4, 8:30 AM @ SALA PASINETTI 11:30 AM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM FRI. 4, 7:45 PM @ SALA PERLA 2 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PRESS & INDUSTRY SAT. 12, 11 AM @ TIFF DIGITAL CINEMA PRO PUBLIC SUN. 13, 4:30 PM @ TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4 MON. 14, 6 PM @ BELL DIGITAL CINEMA SAT. 19, 12 PM @ TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX CINEMA 1 4 5 Synopsis Bosnia, July 11th 1995. the UN camp. As an insider to the negotiations Aida has ac- Aida is a trans- cess to crucial information that lator for the United Nations in she needs to interpret. What the small town of Srebreni- is at the horizon for her family ca. When the Serbian army and people - rescue or death? takes over the town, her fam- Which move should she take? ily is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in 6 7 Cast Jasna Đuričić, Izudin Bajrović, Boris Ler, Dino Bajrović, Boris Isaković Writer Jasmila Žbanić Producers Damir Ibrahimović, Jasmila Žbanić Languages Bosnian, English, Dutch Producers Deblokada (Bosnia) Co-producers & partners Coop99 Filmproduktion (Austria), Digital Cube (Romania), N279 (Netherlands), Razor Film (Germany), Extreme Emotions (Poland), Indie Prod (France), Torden Film (Norway), TRT (Turkey), ZDF ARTE (Germany) 8 9 Born in Sarajevo in 1974, Jasmila is a graduate of her na- tive city’s Academy of Dramatic Arts, Theatre and Film Di- recting Department. Before filmmaking, she also worked Jasmila Žbanić as a puppeteer in the Vermont-based Bread and Puppet Theater and as a clown in a Lee Delong workshop. Her feature debut GRBAVICA won the 2006 Berlinale Screenwriter Golden Bear (as well as the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the Peace Prize), the AFI (American Film Institute) Fest Grand Jury Prize, Grand Prix Odyssey of the Europe- and director an Council and was sold to 40 territories with great suc- cess. Nomination Best film and Best acress European Film Award. ON THE PATH, Jasmila’s second feature film, premiered at the 2010 Berlinale, in the Competition section. The film had worldwide distribution on 25 territories and won numerous awards including Filmkunstfestival Schwer- in Award for Best Director, Golden Apricot IFF Yerevan – FIPRESCI Prize, Pula Film Festival 2010 – Golden Arena for Best Director, Nomination – European Film Award for Best Actress. Jasmila’s third feature, FOR THOSE WHO CAN TELL NO TALES, made its world premiere at the Toronto Film Fes- tival and won the 2013 Femme de Cinema Award at Les Arcs European Film Festival. LOVE ISLAND premiered at Locarno film festival Grand Palace and was screened at TV ARTE for more then half a million viewers. ONE DAY IN SARAJEVO experimental documentary had an inter- national premiere at DOC LEIPZIG DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL and 30 more festivals world-vide. All her films were produced through Deblokada, an artists’ association that she founded. Jasmila’s films and video works have been displayed at dozens of art exhibitions worldwide such as Manifesta 3, the Istanbul Biennial, Kunsthalle Fridericianum Kassel, Swedish Contemporary Art Foundation, New Museum in New York... She is the recipient of the 2014 KAIROS Prize which honors European artists whose work is judged to have a major cul- tural and social impact. 10 11 Interview Jasmila Žbanić Tell us about this particular story and what it The sense of security, the trust in insti- was destroyed connections to other coun- it because we were driven by the need to tell has meant for you in your life. Where were you tutions like the UN, was lost and thousands of tries became limited - we were left in a film this story because we believe it is a story not in 1995, how old were you, and has this been a people died-many more mourned for them. production desert. So, production wise and only about Bosnia or the Balkans but about passion of yours to tell this story on film? Personally, Srebrenica is very close to because of the standards we set for this film human beings, how we behave towards each me because I survived the war in Sarajevo it was a big challenge. other when we are unleashed from morality, Jasmila The systematic execution which was also under siege and we could After the war and the internal division when we destroy every human form. of over 8,000 residents of the east Bosnian have easily ended up as Srebrenica did. I of Bosnia, Srebrenica remained in the part town of Srebrenica at the end of the Bosnian always thought someone must make a film of the country run by Bosnian Serbs. Our How did it start to emerge in your head that you war (1992-95) is a huge trauma for all about what happened there, but I never government has many right-wing politicians would try to make a film about Srebrenica? Bosnians. thought it should be me. Yet the story always who are still denying that the genocide in During the war Srebrenica was de- haunted me. I read everything I could about Srebrenica happened. They celebrate war Jasmila I was reading a lot, listen- clared a UN safe zone for civilians and cit- Srebrenica and only after four films did I feel criminals as heroes denying the Hague In- ing to many women and their stories about izens. However, when Bosnian Serb forces ready to do this one – knowing there would ternational Criminal Court’s decision that their sons, husbands, brothers, fathers who overran the town in July 1995, the outgunned be many obstacles. what happened in Srebrenica constitutes a were abandoned by the UN and captured by UN troops who requested help from the UN genocide. Thus, another enormous obstacle the Bosnian Serb army. These stories which in New York were totally let down together What were the obstacles? was politics. were every day in the media deeply affected with the population. Yet on the other hand many people me emotionally. Today, 25 years later, 1700 Srebrenica is a 40 minute flight from Jasmila Bosnia is a country that pro- did want this film to be born and were really people are still missing. The story of Srebren- Vienna, less than two hours from Berlin and duces only one film per year. We have almost supportive. Many Bosnians helped. Also we ica is a drama that completely consumed it is scary to think that such an act of geno- no industry and our Film Fund is very small. have 9 European countries who are co-pro- me as a filmmaker. cide happened directly in front of European We received only 5% of the budget from the ducers, who wanted this story to be told. eyes - after we all repeated a million times Film Fund. Bosnia used to be part of a big- Damir Ibrahimovic, our main produc- over “Never again”. ger story with Yugoslavia and its strong film er, made so many brave and risky choices. It industry but after the war where everything took us years to make this film. But we made 12 13 How did you deal with dramaturgy – it is a Tell us about the character of Aida. fiction film based on true events? Jasmila Her character is between Jasmila I had felt a huge responsibil- two worlds: she is Bosnian, her family is in ity in how I chose to tell these events. Some- the same situation as thirty thousand other times it felt as if I was walking in a minefield. I residents of Srebrenica, yet she works for the was committed to creating a film that would UN making her position ambiguous. She be- enable people to understand these 100 min- lieves in the UN. She believes a UN base is utes, to understand the story while at the the safe place for her family and that she has same time remaining truthful to the emo- certain privileges because she works for the tions, characters and facts. I was aware that UN. The film is her journey when everything it was not possible to tell every aspect of this falls apart. complicated historical situation story. I had to make choices. Obviously, there’s so much in the film that I had to fictionalize many things because shows your creative skills, it’s an incredibly film has its own rules. For example, in reality tense film to watch. But let’s look at the cast- a lot of her theatre performances and oth- You had great ensemble of actors. Tell us about Dutch UN commander Karremans had several ing first: the performance of your actress. Did er films. She has profound acting skills and them. meetings negotiating the town’s destiny with you target her early on? And how did you work incredible energy. She is truthful, precise, al- Bosnian Serb general Mladic in Hotel Fontana.